Final Space Oneshots

Fractured From Himself (3)

Sorry for awful quality in this one, it's a long one and I'm busy with collage

Avocato was looking at a treehouse, which was rocking in the harsh winds around them. The Ventrexian now recognised it as Gary's own, and looked inside curiously.

There he found a slightly older Gary, only a week or so since his mother left at most, sitting on the wooden planks and talking to Mooncake. He was huddled in a big duvet, jar pressed against his chest. He would've looked adorable if the circumstances weren't so glum.

"And we're gonna have a spaceship! And then we can go and find dad! Because he's out there..." Gary was telling the butterfly. Another gust of wind rocked the treehouse and the child retreated further under the covers.

"Who needs that house anyway?" For the first time, an expression close to hate flickered on Gary's young face, before being replaced by a hollow sadness. "We've got everything we need in my treehouse! And one day..." the younger stood up, grabbing a pen from the side. Beside his bug posters on the wall, he drew a simple picture of a small stick figure with a giant butterfly beside him, standing on a planet with a flag on top. The stick figure and the butterfly both had large smiles.

"...one day we'll have lots of adventures."

Gary yawned, tucking the jar into the sheets and lying down.

"Night Mooncake." Gary muttered sleepily, closing his eyes. "See you tomorrow."

The older Gary was watching intently, his hand curled in a fist. Avocato placed a hand on his shoulder in a small attempt of comfort, but he shrugged it away uncharacteristically. Avocato opened his mouth to say something but the next memory came quickly.

This time Gary was walking down the street, a little worse for wear but smiling nether the less. He was nibbling at a packet of sweets slowly, showing a few to the butterfly in his other hand. He was in the same basic clothes he had been wearing in the day before, so it couldn't have been long after.

"I know Dad said it was wrong to steal, but I can pay them back when I get a job." Gary was telling the butterfly. "And I'm gonna write them a thank you letter for not phoning the –"

"Well well well, look who it is?"

Gary stopped in his tracks, staring up at what Avocato could only describe as the most stereotypical bully he had ever seen. The kid was a few years older, overweight and even eating a damn apple, which was thrown at Gary a heartbeat later.

"Hey guys, it's bug boy!" The boy shouted, and his goons chuckled behind him. Avocato had to roll his eyes as the stupid name-calling, but for a seven year old that was the equivalent of punching him in the gut. The blond clutched the jar with both hands, dropping the sweets to the ground.

"I'm not a bug boy!" Gary shouted back. "You're a meanie! My dad said –"

"My dad said!" The bully mocked in a high pitched voice. "I don't give a darn what your dad said! He don't care about you!"

"He does!" Gary cried out fiercely. A flash of anger flickered in his eyes. "Shame your dad doesn't cos of how ugly you are!"

Avocato felt like cheering, and Little Cato did. Gary, however, stayed silent, turning away from the memory.

The bully was shocked into silence, mouth opening and closing like a fish. But the moment passed and his face flushed red with rage.

"You think you can say stuff like that without getting punished, Bug Boy?" The bully smiled dangerously, signalling his goons closer. The larger suddenly faked a friendly voice, lunging towards the younger Gary.